It was testing day for my oldest daughter in her Taekwondo class, and I felt the usual stirring in my stomach. I knew she worked hard and wanted to meet her goals. I wanted to see her experience the glow of doing what she came to do.
She has overcome some tough challenges in her life. Still struggling to work through others. In the midst of a sweaty gym and plenty of nerves, the strength gained in her tough stuff was the best tool she brought to her test.
The first part of her test was what she did best: clean forms, long kicks, and a determined attitude.
Tension creased my eyes after that. It was the final part of the test, where she had to break a board. The best way I know how to put it- she is just too nice. Great form, but as her teacher, Mr. T, often says, “You need to get mad at that board!” After several failed attempts, he moved toward her with words of intense encouragement.
She broke the board.
During her three years of taekwondo, I have noticed some things about her teacher. First, he is just as passionate and involved with a beginner student as with an experienced black belt. Always 100% of his time and heart are in his encounters with his students.
Second, he never lets them plateau. Always pushing to be better, do better, grow further, become stronger. He enthusiastically celebrates accomplishments with them, then lines them up along the wall to do wall sits until their legs feel like they are going to fall off.
But by far the most powerful thing I have observed is that, as much as he can help it, he won’t let his students fail. I have noticed this particularly during the board breaking part of the test.
He certainly does let the students fail in ways that are healthy and good and necessary for learning. He doesn’t bail them out of a situation to shield them from a challenge. But he sees their heart and their effort, and he knows their work ethic and ability. If someone works hard and tests well, he is not going to let them go down on the board break.
At one point, Mr. T’s oldest daughter was testing for a high red belt, one step from a black belt. It was a rigorous test. She kicked the board numerous times, and it looked like her foot had been hurt. I have never seen him treat his daughters differently than the other students. Still, I wonder if, as a parent, it was difficult to watch his daughter struggle. Being both the teacher and a judge, he sat at the table with the two other judges. I tried to observe his facial expression. He remained professional and calm, but something in his eyes showed fierceness for his daughter.
Fellow classmates held up the board as she continued to kick. After a short time, Mr. T got up, grabbed a board, and walked quickly to his daughter. He held it up, and spoke with determination and calm instruction. With each failed kick he spoke intently to her, keeping her focused.
She broke the board.
Her dad was very professional about it, and showed little emotion. But the intensity with which he helped her showed that he was determined not to let her fail. He would not let her fail. He would not let her hard work come to nothing. He was determined to see her claim victory.
Mr. T often says that breaking boards is as much an emotional and mental test as it is a physical one. The hard boards represent obstacles in life that must be faced; a test of perseverance in hammering at the wall in front us. Maybe that is why he advocates so intensely for this particular part of the test. He knows his students want to break their board. And he wants them to experience a breakthrough.
“Sow righteousness for yourselves and reap faithful love; break up your unplowed ground.
It is time to seek the Lord until He comes and sends righteousness on you like the rain.” (Emphasis added) (Hosea 10:12).
God the Father is our fiercest advocate. He does let us fail, and learn hard things that we must learn.
Yet because of grace, He steps in and coaches us, loves us, and holds the board until victory is achieved.
But He is God the Father, and He does more than hold the board. He is the very power behind every movement that leads us closer to His heart, and closer to a breakthrough.
God loves to see His children experience victory.
Some of us are weary from kicking our board, just bloody and bruised with no sign of victory. And we don’t necessarily know why.
In Part II, I want to share with you some important weapons, and some possible “whys” that may reveal our struggle to achieve a breakthrough.
Please join me again here next week, dear friend.
Breakthrough is in sight.